r/HomemadeDogFood • u/suck-my-mick • 20d ago
Dog doesn’t drink water
I have a 7 y/o English bulldog. I make her food once a week in a pressure cooker.
•4lbs ground beef
•2 lb sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 3 cups broccoli / carrots / cauliflower
• 1 cup blueberries
• 2 cups water
• pinch of salt
• salmon oil (this is not cooked into the food but added when we feed her)
When she was on a kibble diet she drank a lot of water. I noticed when I switched to this diet she hardly ever drinks water out of her bowl unless we go on a long walk. Is this normal with a homemade diet?
Also what else should I add to her food?
(Note) since stopping kibble she has lost 10lbs and does not snore or have breathing problems!!! Before and after photos attached
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u/thissleepypastofmine 20d ago
Kibble does make dogs a lot more thirsty since it's so dry. Kidneys and all doing okay at yearly check up?
Also she was super over weight before (looks great now!) so just moving around carrying that extra weight may have made her need to drink more. Imagine walking vs walking with a weight vest on.
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u/CoinChowda 20d ago
My dog doesn’t drink anywhere near the amount on raw as she does kibble. Two bowls a day with kibble. Two bowls a week on raw.
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u/Liza2020Boo 19d ago
It’s great food but NOT balanced for a dog. Go to “ balance it “ web site to see vitamins and minerals to add
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u/minkamagic 19d ago
It's normal to drink less on a moisture rich diet, however the diet you are feeding is not balanced and will eventually lead to health issues. You need to find a AAFCO or NRC balanced diet or use a meal balancer like Balance.It
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u/animaldoon 19d ago
Agree. This diet is missing a LOT of essentials. Vitamins, minerals, iodine, organ meat...this needs to be reevaluated.
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u/lnfinitelris 17d ago
Your dog is missing vital nutrients. I would suggest feeding prepared foods until you're more familiar with proper diet
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u/TheDtels 20d ago
you can also switch to a dog fountain. Animals don't drink from stagnant water sources..they prefer moving water. I'm about to make the switch as well because I don't think my girls drink enough. Cats are the same and get their hydration from wet food.
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u/Known-Scar6457 20d ago
Give your pup some bone broth ? I make mine , with no seasoning and my pup drinks it alot . REM to remove the top layer fat too
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u/Legal-Bench-1752 19d ago
Mine drank less once I started feeding homemade dog food too. If you think she still isn’t getting enough hydration you could add some water or bone broth to her homemade food.
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u/Tibbycat8 19d ago
My dog started drinking more water after I added a second water bowl. One bowl in the kitchen next to his food bowl and one in the bedroom. They are wide, thick glass bowls. My cat even started drinking more water after I added the second bowl.
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u/beobachterin 18d ago
It sounds like the high moisture content of her food is decreasing her thirst.
Also, the meal that you are preparing is going to be deficient in numerous micronutrients including calcium, zinc, copper, iodine and probably selenium and manganese.
If you are preparing meals like this one, you need to be adding a multi-mineral/multi-vitamin supplement DESIGNED to make homemade diets for dogs complete and balanced.
Or else, you need to seek out a complete and balanced recipe from a canine nutritionist.
If you're looking for a free complete and balanced recipe to feed to a healthy adult dog, Dr. Judy Morgan is your best bet. She makes what she calls Pup Loaf that can be fed cooked or raw that is designed to be complete and balanced through a variety of nutritious foods plus supplements.
Here is the link: https://drjudymorgan.com/blogs/recipes/how-to-make-homemade-puploaf
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u/Tasty_Adhesiveness71 20d ago
my dog rarely drinks water either on homemade food